The country's biggest and most important gathering for nonprofit theater is coming to San Diego next year.

The New York-based Theatre Communications Group has confirmed that our city will host the TCG National Conference, which will run June 19-21, 2014.

There had been buzz for some time that the conference would be coming here; local theaters, particularly La Jolla Playhouse, were known to have been advocating for landing the event, which typically attracts 1,000-plus people for meetings, presentations and performances. (Playhouse managing director Michael S. Rosenberg is a TCG board member.)

This year's 23rd annual conference runs June 6-8 in Dallas, and is expected to attract theater professionals, exhibitors and others from around the nation and world.

San Diego has an outsized presence in U.S. theater for a city of its size, with two major, nationally renowned regional theaters (the Playhouse and the Globe) that regularly send work to New York. (San Diego Rep also has one Broadway credit.)

TCG promotes and advocates for American nonprofit theater, and awards about $2 million in grants each year to artists and institutions. It has some 700 member companies and affiliate organizations.